Alanson Russell "Lance" Loud (June 26, 1951 – December 22, 2001) was an American television personality, magazine columnist, and new wave rock-n-roll performer.

Loud is best known for his 1973 appearance in An American Family, a pioneer reality television series that featured his coming out, leading to his status as an icon in the gay community.

It was here that Loud's teen years were shaped after discovering the artistic and cultural influences of Andy Warhol, The Factory, and The Velvet Underground.

[3] In late 1969, Loud and his best-friend, Kristian Hoffman, drove to San Francisco to experience Haight-Ashbury and the neighborhood's much-publicized cultural scene as well as explore the city's gay enclaves.

After leaving the Bay Area, the pair drove east to the San Joaquin Valley and Altamont Raceway Park near Tracy, California.

During the interview, Loud stated that he thought the show's director, writer, filmmaker Craig Gilbert, had intentionally edited the series to make him appear obnoxious and grating.

[5] The CD booklets contain affectionate tributes from members of the Cramps, Sparks, R.E.M., the New York Dolls, Blondie, Dramarama, the Go-Go's, Danzig, Devo, Patti Smith Group, and the Screamers, as well as praise from Danny Fields, Jayne County, Rufus Wainwright, and Paul Reubens, helping to secure The Mumps a place in musical history.

Loud wrote a monthly column in the influential Rock Scene magazine, an early supporter of glam and the punk genre.

In his columns, Loud reported on his favorite artists and covered junkets he took, such as a brief tour with Jim Dandy Mangrum of the band Black Oak Arkansas.

A Death in An American Family, was about Loud's physical decline, to include his 20-year addiction to crystal meth and his struggle to survive with HIV.